Cross-section processing-and-observation method and cross-section processing-and-observation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016343541-A1
Application number	US-201615162133-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cross-section processing-and-observation method includes: a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample; a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section; and a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images of the sample. In the cross-sectional image acquisition step, a cross-sectional image is acquired under different condition settings for a plurality of regions of the cross-section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cross-section processing-and-observation method comprising:
a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample; a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section; and a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images, including a first sectional image and a second sectional image, of the sample, wherein in the cross-sectional image acquisition step, the first cross-sectional image is acquired by irradiating the cross-section with the electron beam a first number of times, and the second cross-sectional image is acquired by irradiating the cross-section with the electron beam a second number of times different from the first number.

2 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1 wherein the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of any one of the plurality of regions, or the pixel size is an integer multiple of the setting interval.

3 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1 , further comprising a specific observation target detection step of detecting a predetermined specific observation target,
wherein in the specific observation target detection step, after a predetermined specific observation target is detected, a condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are updated.

4 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step is updated, the setting interval is set to be shorter than that before the specific observation target is detected.

5 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein
plural types of the specific observation targets are set, and different condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and different condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set for individual regions where the respective specific observation targets are detected.

6 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set, the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of the cross-sectional image.

7 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein in the specific observation target detection step, an EDS measurement or an EBSD measurement of the cross-section is performed.

8 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein the specific observation target detection step including observing a contrast change of a cross-sectional image obtained in the cross-sectional image acquisition step.

9 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 3 , wherein in the specific observation target detection step performed after the specific observation target is detected, cross-section processing-and-observation method is not performed on other portions of the sample when the specific observation target is not detected anymore.

10 . A cross-section processing-and-observation method comprising:
a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample; a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section; and a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images of the sample, wherein in the cross-sectional image acquisition step, when the cross-sectional image is acquired with a high magnification, the setting interval is set smaller than the setting interval in a case that the cross-sectional image is acquired with a magnification lower than the high magnification

11 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 10 wherein the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of any one of the plurality of regions, or the pixel size is an integer multiple of the setting interval.

12 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 10 , further comprising a specific observation target detection step of detecting a predetermined specific observation target,
wherein in the specific observation target detection step, after a predetermined specific observation target is detected, a condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are updated.

13 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step is updated, the setting interval is set to be shorter than that before the specific observation target is detected.

14 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein
plural types of the specific observation targets are set, and different condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and different condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set for individual regions where the respective specific observation targets are detected.

15 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set, the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of the cross-sectional image.

16 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein in the specific observation target detection step, an EDS measurement or an EBSD measurement of the cross-section is performed.

17 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein the specific observation target detection step including observing a contrast change of a cross-sectional image obtained in the cross-sectional image acquisition step.

18 . The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 12 , wherein in the specific observation target detection step performed after the specific observation target is detected, cross-section processing-and-observation method is not performed on other portions of the sample when the specific observation target is not detected anymore.

Assignees

• Hitachi High-Tech Science Corp

Inventors

• Man Xin
• Asahata Tatsuya
• Uemoto Atsushi

Classifications

• H01J37/222 Primary

  Image processing arrangements associated with the tube · CPC title

• H01J37/3053

  for evaporating or etching · CPC title

• H01J37/292

  using scanning ray · CPC title

• G01N23/2251

  using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM] · CPC title

• H01J37/3056

  for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components · CPC title